公共英语三级真题
41、
A.forward
B.up
C.round
D.in
42、
A.read
B.correct
C.define
D.grade
43、
A.which
B.what
C.where
D.why
44、
A.wait
B.promise
C.afford
D.manage
45、
A.Once
B.Unless
C.Before
D.Though
SECTION III Reading Comprehension Part A(40 minutes)
Text 1
46、根据下列材料，请回答46-60题：
In 1997, 25 Japanese citizens, all older than 60, launched Jeeba (the name means "old man and old woman") to make senior-friendly products. They knew they were making history when they coined their company motto : "Of the elderly, by the elderly and for the elderly. " They do not hire young people, and the oldest of their workers is 75.
Firms run by senior citizens are still a rarity, in Japan and worldwide. But the elderly have numbers on their side. Healthier and longer-living seniors, born immediately after World War II,are reaching retirement age in huge numbers all over the developed world. Extremely low birthrates in those same countries mean there are far fewer young workers to take their place. One likely con-sequence is now clear: shrinking work forces.
While the streamlining effects of international competition are focusing attention on the need to create and keep good jobs, those fears will eventually give way to worries about the growing short-age of young workers. One unavoidable solution: putting older people back to work, whether they like it or not. Indeed, advanced economies like those of Finland and Denmark have already raised their retirement ages. Others are under severe pressure to follow suit, as both the European Com-mission and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have recently warned their members that their future prosperity depends on a growing contribution from the elderly.
Whether these changes are good or bad news to workers depends on whether they anticipate retirement with eagerness or dread. In the United States, half of working-age Americans now expect to work into their 70s, whether by financial necessity or by lifestyle choice, according to a new study by Putnam Investments.
Contrary to still widespread assumptions, there is very little hard evidence to suggest that com-panies cannot stay competitive with a rising share of older workers. At 13ritish hardware chain B&Q, its "elder worker" stores in Manchester and Exmouth were 18 percent more profitable than its regular outlets--due in part, the company says, to six times less employee turnover and 60 per-cent less shoplifting and breakage.
46、Jeeba' s difference from a conventional company mainly lies in
A.the age of its employees
B.the number of its owners
C.the quality of its products
D.the scope of its operations
47、 In the developed world, compared with young people, the elderly
A.are better at business
B.are greater in number
C.have healthier lifestyles
D.have more job opportunities
48、 According to the writer, in the current situation companies are faced with the tough task of
A.creating good positions
B.employing retired workers
C.filling vacant positions
D.replacing unskilled workers
49、 For future prosperity, many European countries will have to
A.increase the number of young workers
B.offer many senior-friendly jobs
C.improve services for seniors
D.raise their retirement ages
50、 B&Q' s "elder worker" stores are mentioned to show that the employment of older work-ers
A.does not reduce a company' s competitiveness
B.does not affect older workers' lifestyle Choices
C.is not a usual practice among competitive firms
D.is not good news to those who are eager to retire
Text 2
根据下列材料，请回答51-65题：
Here' s how I want to watch the 2014 Winter Olympics. I want to go to a Web site to see any event I want, whenever I want to watch it, on whatever screen I choose. I' 11 gladly pay.
The technology exists to make this happen today. Yet nearly two decades after the introduction of the World Wide Web, this remains a fantasy. NBC, which broadcasted the Vancouver Olympics in the United States, wouldn' t put videos on its Web site until they had been shown on prime-time TV. So Americans had the weird experience of learning from a news report during the day that something fantastic had just happened, and then having to wait until that night' s broadcast to see it.